Googland |
- [G] Drag images into messages
- [G] AdWords system maintenance on May 13th
- [G] Local marketing 101 at “Local University”
- [G] The Consumer Path to Brand Pages on Retailer Sites
- [G] The Panoramio Widget API: Embedding Panoramio photos and slideshows
- [G] Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More
- [G] Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More
- [G] Upgrade here
- [G] Giving a voice to more languages on Google Translate
- [G] What’s different about the new Google Docs?
- [G] New keyword targeting feature for advertisers in the UK and Canada
| Posted: 11 May 2010 10:45 PM PDT Official Gmail Blog: Drag images into messagesPosted by Michael Davidson, Software EngineerRecently, we launched a feature that allows you to drag an attachment from your computer right onto Gmail. I've always been a fan of the inserting image lab, so I naturally wondered if it would be possible to combine the two. Today we're launching a feature that allows you to drag images from your computer into a message. You don't have to have the insert image lab enabled for it to work. Just drag the image in, resize it if you want, and send.  Currently, this feature only works in Google Chrome, but will be coming soon to other browsers.  URL: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/drag-images-into-messages.html      |
| [G] AdWords system maintenance on May 13th Posted: 11 May 2010 07:54 PM PDT Inside AdWords: AdWords system maintenance on May 13thOn Thursday, May 13th, 2010 the AdWords system will undergo maintenance from approximately 6:00PM to 6:30PM PDT. While you may not be able to sign in to your accounts during this time, your campaigns will continue to run as usual. While, AdWords system maintenance typically occurs on the second Saturday of each month, this update was delayed due to the Mother's Day holiday in the U.S. last weekend. We'll continue to update you via the blog as we always have, but please make note of the May 13th date and of our scheduled maintenance further down the road. Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew  URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2010/05/adwords-system-maintenance-on-may-13th.html   |
| [G] Local marketing 101 at “Local University” Posted: 11 May 2010 07:54 PM PDT Google LatLong: Local marketing 101 at "Local University"If you manage a small business and happen to be in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area on May 13, come check out the Local University event, at the Westin Edina Galleria. I'll be there to give tips and tricks for using Google Places most effectively, and will be joined by my counterpart from Bing's Local Listing Center, as well as respected leaders of the local search field (you can see the full list of"faculty" here.) There will be two identical half-day sessions (8am - noon and 1pm - 5pm) on May 13th, 2010. The regular price is $129 but if you use coupon code LatLong at checkout, you'll save $40. You can get more details and register at this link. This event is part of a nationwide series of events which are organized by GetListed.org, as a primer for business owners who wish to use the internet effectively to promote their business. Keep an eye out for the university to come to an area near you. Posted by Ryan Hayward, Product Marketing Manager  URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/05/local-marketing-101-at-local-university.html   |
| [G] The Consumer Path to Brand Pages on Retailer Sites Posted: 11 May 2010 01:45 PM PDT Official Google CPG Blog: The Consumer Path to Brand Pages on Retailer SitesPosted by Jenny Liu, Industry Marketing Manager, CPG Brands often partner with select retailers to develop a product landing page that is embedded within the retailer's site. How do consumers effectively discover these pages? Do they search for them? What kind of role could sponsored search play? What kind of queries do they enter into the search box? We commissioned a clickstream study with Compete that analyzed the retailer product landing pages across seven major CPG household brands on an aggregate basis. Here are our top 3 findings:
Finding #1
Search and sites within the Google Content Network are effective connectors between brands and their product landing pages on retailer sites. The product landing page is where the brand can communicate product benefits and include any special offers unique to that retailer. This will be the call to action that drives consumers to that retailer.
Finding #2:
Sponsored search is an effective tactic that can aid consumers in the discovery process when they search. Most consumers enter the search process through a non-branded query. Therefore, text ads that show against non-branded keywords can help navigate consumers to your product landing page.
Finding #3
Search and the Google Content Network are efficient vehicles to connect with unique consumers and drive them to product landing pages embedded within a retailer's site.
Are you interested in learning more about display advertising on the Google Content Network?
Join us for a webinar on Thursday, May 20th at 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST / 11:00am -12pm PST, featuring Product Management Director for the Content Network, Brad Bender, and Head of Sales for the Content Network, Bruce Falck.
The webinar will focus on Google's vision for display advertising, how marketers are incorporating display into their strategy today, and our recent innovations in the space that are helping them succeed. Specifically, we'll cover the following: Google's vision and recent innovations in display advertising
Click here to register for this webinar.  URL: http://google-cpg.blogspot.com/2010/05/consumer-path-to-brand-pages-on.html   |
| [G] The Panoramio Widget API: Embedding Panoramio photos and slideshows Posted: 11 May 2010 12:06 PM PDT Google Photos Blog: The Panoramio Widget API: Embedding Panoramio photos and slideshowsPosted by Roger Trias i Sanz, Panoramio Software EngineerThe Panoramio team is happy to announce the recent launch of the Panoramio Widget API, an easy way to publish photos of your favorite places on any site or blog you own. Using a Panoramio widget, you can share photos from your far-off travels or pics of your favorite local haunts. The Panoramio widgets are highly customizable, so you can embed a photo slideshow, a set of thumbnails, or just a single photo. We'd love your feedback, so please let us know what you think about these new widgets in the Panoramio forum.  URL: http://googlephotos.blogspot.com/2010/05/panoramio-widget-api-embedding.html   |
| [G] Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More Posted: 11 May 2010 12:06 PM PDT Google LatLong: Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More[Cross-posted from the Google Mobile Blog]Starting today, Google Maps for mobile has a few new ways to help you and your friends quickly get to where you're going whether you're on 4 wheels or 2 (or maybe even 3). With Google Maps 4.2 for Android you can now get biking directions on the go, start Navigation from your Home screen, share places with friends, and more.   Google Navigation shortcut If you're driving instead of riding, we wanted to make it easier and faster for you to get on the road with Google Maps Navigation as soon as you're ready. With the new Navigation shortcut, you can pick a destination and be on your way with as little as 2 taps of your finger. Select the "Navigation" icon in your phone's app launcher to get the new destination selection view. Then, speak or type your destination, pick one from your contacts, choose a starred place, or select a recent destination. Navigation will begin and you're good to go. Make it even easier on yourself by adding the Navigation icon right on your Home screen.   Sharing Once you figure out where you're going, why not get some friends to meet you there? From any search results page, choose to "Share this place" to send that place's info, such as its address and phone number, to whomever you like. If you want to meet someone on a street corner or gather friends at an outdoor concert, you can also send an exact location from the map -- even a snapshot of your current location. Just use the share option after selecting a point on the map, your "My Location" blue dot, or yourself in Latitude if it's enabled. Whether you're sharing a place or a location, you'll be able to send it to small groups via an email or text message or send it widely with apps like Google Buzz, Facebook, or Twitter. Get these new features by searching for Google Maps in Android Market from Android 1.6+ phones (On your phone now? Tap here). Update Maps to version 4.2, available in all the countries and languages where Maps is currently available. Visit our Help Center to learn more, ask questions in our Help Forum, or give us suggestions and vote on other people's on the Mobile Product Ideas page. Posted by Michelle Chen, Software Engineer, Google Mobile Team  URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-maps-for-android-gets-biking.html   |
| [G] Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More Posted: 11 May 2010 12:06 PM PDT Official Google Mobile Blog: Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and MoreStarting today, Google Maps for mobile has a few new ways to help you and your friends quickly get to where you're going whether you're on 4 wheels or 2 (or maybe even 3). With Google Maps 4.2 for Android you can now get biking directions on the go, start Navigation from your Home screen, share places with friends, and more.Biking directions Since launching biking directions on desktop Google Maps, we've wanted to get you biking directions, lanes, and trails on your phone too. When getting directions, just select the bike icon to get an optimal bicycling route in the U.S. If you're in the mood for a more scenic ride, you'll also see the Bicycling layer on the map which shows dedicated bike-only trails (dark green), roads with bike lanes (light green), or roads that are good for biking but lack a dedicated lane (dashed green). You can always turn on this layer from the Layers menu to pick your own route. Add in the Labs' Terrain layer, and you can decide to either climb or avoid that big hill on the way home!   Google Navigation shortcut If you're driving instead of riding, we wanted to make it easier and faster for you to get on the road with Google Maps Navigation as soon as you're ready. With the new Navigation shortcut, you can pick a destination and be on your way with as little as 2 taps of your finger. Select the "Navigation" icon in your phone's app launcher to get the new destination selection view. Then, speak or type your destination, pick one from your contacts, choose a starred place, or select a recent destination. Navigation will begin and you're good to go. Make it even easier on yourself by adding the Navigation icon right on your Home screen.   Sharing Once you figure out where you're going, why not get some friends to meet you there? From any search results page, choose to "Share this place" to send that place's info, such as its address and phone number, to whomever you like. If you want to meet someone on a street corner or gather friends at an outdoor concert, you can also send an exact location from the map -- even a snapshot of your current location. Just use the share option after selecting a point on the map, your "My Location" blue dot, or yourself in Latitude if it's enabled. Whether you're sharing a place or a location, you'll be able to send it to small groups via an email or text message or send it widely with apps like Google Buzz, Facebook, or Twitter. Get these new features by searching for Google Maps in Android Market from Android 1.6+ phones (On your phone now? Tap here). Update Maps to version 4.2, available in all the countries and languages where Maps is currently available. Visit our Help Center to learn more, ask questions in our Help Forum, or give us suggestions and vote on other people's on the Mobile Product Ideas page. Posted by Michelle Chen, Software Engineer, Google Mobile Team  URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-maps-for-android-gets-biking.html   |
| Posted: 11 May 2010 12:06 PM PDT Official Google Enterprise Blog: Upgrade hereThis week Microsoft will take its Office 2010 suite out of beta. If you're considering upgrading Office with Office, we'd encourage you to consider an alternative: upgrading Office with Google Docs. If you choose this path, upgrade means what it's supposed to mean: effortless, affordable, and delivering a remarkable increase in employee productivity. This is a refreshing alternative to the expensive and laborious upgrades to which IT professionals have become accustomed. Google Docs has been providing rich real-time collaboration to millions of users for nearly four years. It lets employees edit and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in the browser from anywhere in the world. We recently made tremendous strides in improving Google Docs formatting, speed and functionality, and a growing number of companies are now using it as their primary productivity software. Of course, you probably already own Office 2003 or 2007 (or maybe Office 2000?), and there's no need to uninstall them. Fortunately, Google Docs also makes Office 2003 and 2007 better. For example, you can store any file – including Microsoft Office documents – in Google's cloud and share them in their original format (protected, naturally by Google's synchronous replication across datacenters). Plus, in the coming months, Google will enable real-time collaboration directly in Office 2003 and 2007, as you can see here. Google Docs represents a real alternative for companies: a chance to get the collaboration features you need today and end the endless cycle of "upgrades". For more information on the choices available to you, check out the summary below. But don't take our word for it – you can try Google Docs and the rest of the Google Apps suite for free. The only thing you have to lose is a server or two.  For further information on Microsoft's offerings and requirements, please reference the Microsoft TechNet articles on SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010. Posted by Matthew Glotzbach, Google Enterprise Product Management Director  URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/05/upgrade-here.html   |
| [G] Giving a voice to more languages on Google Translate Posted: 11 May 2010 12:06 PM PDT Official Google Blog: Giving a voice to more languages on Google Translate(Cross-posted from the Google Translate Blog)One of the popular features of Google Translate is the ability to hear translations spoken out loud ("text-to-speech") by clicking the speaker icon beside some translations, like the one below.  We rolled this feature out for English and Haitian Creole translations a few months ago and added French, Italian, German, Hindi and Spanish a couple of weeks ago. Now we're bringing text-to-speech to even more languages with the open source speech synthesizer, eSpeak. By integrating eSpeak we're adding text-to-speech functionality for Afrikaans, Albanian, Catalan, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese and Welsh. You may notice that the audio quality of these languages isn't at the same level as the previously released languages. Clear and accurate speech technology is difficult to perfect, but we will continue to improve the performance and number of languages that are supported. So go ahead and give it a try! Click the on the speaker icon for any of these translations: "airport" in Greek, "lightning" in Chinese or "smile" in Swahili. Posted by Fergus Henderson, Software Engineer  URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/giving-voice-to-more-languages-on.html   |
| [G] What’s different about the new Google Docs? Posted: 11 May 2010 08:31 AM PDT Official Google Docs Blog: What's different about the new Google Docs?Editor's Note: This post is more technical than most posts on the Google Docs blog.A month ago we introduced the latest version of the Google document editor. The new editor comes with features like a ruler, tabs stops, and floating images. Those features might seem pretty basic, but they're nearly impossible to support in a regular online text editor. This post unwraps some of the core technical changes with the new editor to make this new functionality possible. The old Google documents As background, most online text editors (including the old Google documents) use an editable HTML element, which means the application tells the browser to make a certain string of text editable, and the browser takes care of letting the user edit that text. So when you type in the old Google document editor, the browser inserts the characters you type into the page's HTML. Likewise, when you bold a word, the browser changes the HTML so that the word displays as bold. Relying on the browser like this has several advantages:
The new Google documents To get around these problems, the new Google document editor doesn't use the browser to handle editable text. We wrote a brand new editing surface and layout engine, entirely in JavaScript. A new editing surface Let's start by talking about the editing surface, which processes all user input and makes the application feel like a regular editor. To you, the new editor looks like a fairly normal text box. But from the browser's perspective, it's a webpage with JavaScript that responds to any user action by dynamically changing what to display on each line. For example, the cursor you see is actually a thin, 2 pixel-wide div element that we manually place on the screen. When you click somewhere, we find the x and y coordinates of your click and draw the cursor at that position. This lets us do basic things like slanting the cursor for italicized text, and it also allows more powerful capabilities like showing multiple collaborators' cursors simultaneously, in the same document.  Multiple users editing in the same paragraph By far the most difficult thing the editor does is figure out where to draw text. For this, we built a new layout engine. Here's an example of how the new engine works: say you type the letter 'a'. We notice you pressed the 'a' key and respond by drawing a single 'a' off-screen. We then measure the width and height of that 'a', combine those measurements with the x and y position of your cursor, and place the 'a' at the correct spot on the screen. If you're in the middle of a word, we push the characters after your cursor over. If you're at the end of a line, the editor moves your word to the next line and pushes any overflow to the lines after it. Tab stops and other basic features are impossible to support if you're using the browser's HTML layout engine for your text. That's why we wrote our own engine: once we tell our layout engine how to draw a feature, we don't have to worry about which features browsers support.  The formatting in this basic menu couldn't be supported without writing a new layout engine What I've just described is pretty standard architecture for a desktop word processor. But the new Google Docs isn't just an online version of existing desktop software: it's designed specifically for character-by-character real time collaboration. That kind of collaboration is only possible because we built the editor around a technology called operational transformation. It's what lets multiple people edit the same area of a document at the same time without needing to wait for the server to say a particular edit is okay. Building an extensible, fully collaborative online word processor required rewriting every part of the document editor from scratch. We're still adding more features and polish before turning it on for everyone, but for an early peek, you can opt-in by visiting the Editing tab in the Google Docs settings. Posted by: Jeff Harris, Product Manager, Google Docs  URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/05/whats-different-about-new-google-docs.html   |
| [G] New keyword targeting feature for advertisers in the UK and Canada Posted: 11 May 2010 06:31 AM PDT Inside AdWords: New keyword targeting feature for advertisers in the UK and CanadaToday we're introducing the broad match modifier, a new AdWords targeting feature that lets you create keywords that have greater reach than phrase match and more control than broad match. Adding modified broad match keywords to your campaign can help you get more clicks and conversions at an attractive ROI, especially if you mainly use exact and phrase match keywords today.To implement the modifier, just put a plus symbol (+) directly in front of one or more words in a broad match keyword. Each word preceded by a + has to appear in your potential customer's search exactly or as a close variant. Close variants include misspellings, singular/plural forms, abbreviations and acronyms, and stemmings (like "floor" and "flooring"). Synonyms (like "quick" and "fast") and related searches (like "flowers" and "tulips") aren't considered close variants. The graphic below illustrates the relative reach of different keyword match type strategies. As you can see, modified broad match keywords match more searches than the equivalent phrase match keyword, but fewer searches than the equivalent broad match keyword. Match behavior also depends on the specific words you modify. For example, the keyword formal +shoes will match the search "evening shoes," but the keyword +formal +shoes will not.  During initial tests, advertisers who mainly used phrase and exact match found that adding modified broad match keywords increased campaign clicks and conversions, while providing more precise control than with broad match. Modified broad match keywords have a traffic potential closer to phrase match than broad match. If you mainly use broad match keywords in your account, switching these keywords to modified broad match will likely lead to a significant decline in your overall click and conversion volumes. In order to maintain these volumes, we recommend keeping existing broad match keywords active, adding new modified broad match keywords, and adjusting bids to achieve your target ROI based on observed performance. If you're in Canada or the UK, you can log into your AdWords account to start adding modified broad match keywords today. You can also use the AdWords Editor or the AdWords API. For more details, examples, suggestions on usage, and answers to many common questions, visit the AdWords Help Center. This feature is currently available to advertisers in Canada and the UK as an open beta. We'll be listening closely to feedback to help determine future product direction. Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew  URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-keyword-targeting-feature-for.html   |
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